How do commoner drow roleplay with noble drow?

Tierney · Post by **Tierney** » Sat Nov 22, 2003 2:40 pm

I was wondering, since I was lucky enough to end up with a commoner drow upon creation, how should she behave towards other drow, the most of whom she meets are nobles. How should she behave towards noble females, and also how should she behave towards noble males?

Isaldur · Post by **Isaldur** » Sat Nov 22, 2003 4:10 pm

Avert eyes and... grovel grovel grovel grovel grovel.

Mele · Post by **Mele** » Sat Nov 22, 2003 5:57 pm

Grovel to noble males? I thought that no matter what place in nobility a female holds, men are still big loserheads. :P :D

~Danica

Solaghar · Post by **Solaghar** » Sat Nov 22, 2003 7:22 pm

I believe that Female Drow outside of noble houses are still higher up on the ladder than even the highest male Drow, but you have to remember that this is just technically, and often reality might not mesh with the vagueries of a caste-based social system. While a commoner female could easily order a male Drow to debase himself in front of her, be tortured, etc... they would lack the social support network of the noble house that keeps revenge killings from being more common. A noble female can do whatever she wants because if a male acted out against her openly his entire house might be destroyed, commoners have no such rights. I'd say that if a male was obviously disrespectful you might bring it up with a female member of their house, but it probably wouldn't be the smartest idea to walk around making every male you meet debase themselves or insulting them constantly

Tierney · Post by **Tierney** » Sat Nov 22, 2003 7:36 pm

Thanks. I pretty much figured out the groveling to noble females. it was the dealing with noble males that confused me.

Isaldur · Post by **Isaldur** » Sat Nov 22, 2003 8:14 pm

A commoner is a commoner. Noble Males are more important than any commoner female unless said commoner female somehow finds herself to be a Priestess, in which case I really don't know. All priestesses of Lloth are supposed to have some sort of house affiliation unless they're rogue. In the power structure of Menzoberranzan being part of a House's power is a way to gain power, just like following Lloth is getting power. The point of power is to not be some commoner...

In my opinion, commoner priestesses who are not affiliated with a house in some aspect just can't exist in Menzo. In other drow cities perhaps but Menzoberranzan is by female priestesses of houses, for female priestesses of houses. Everyone else in the city are just pawns to be used by said priestesses.

[EDIT] Also note that as a priestess you don't grovel to anyone, not even Lloth. Strength and Image are the very things that keep you alive and groveling is definately not being strong. You may take orders, you may be told to do things, but groveling would just get you killed in Lloth's name.

Solaghar · Post by **Solaghar** » Sat Nov 22, 2003 9:33 pm

One thing that seems fairly clear is that the nobility in Drow society have a monopoly on the education system. Even if a commoner aspired to be a priestess, Arach-Tinilith is a school for nobility only... there isn't much support to give her the training she would need to meet that goal. Female priestesses are an extremely valuable commodity in Menzoberrenzan, as evidenced by the readiness with which priestesses of ruined houses can be adopted into other houses if given a chance. But along with it go a number of expectations, primarily of which would be supporting the status quo of a nobility dominated by Priestesses of Lloth who alone interpret the word of Lloth and set law for the commoners. A commoner priestess of Lloth would most likely be interpreted as a threat, having gained her status outside the regular methods of training, and without loyalty to even the idea of nobility-dominated rule. Most likely the only way they would survive in Menzoberrenzan is by remaining almost powerless, and occupying a position such as an advisor to a merchant clan, to ensure their business ventures had the blessings of Lloth, or another such trivial job.

Tierney · Post by **Tierney** » Sat Nov 22, 2003 11:25 pm

Or getting my commoner priestess adopted into a noble house? Cause if Lloth has let the nobles rule so long, it must be her will, therefor to do anything counter to the will of the ruling class would be counter to the will of Lloth. Which results in extra limbs and the abilty to make silk out of your butt.

Isaldur · Post by **Isaldur** » Sun Nov 23, 2003 12:39 am

Priestesses in any of the noble houses are not just the direct daughters of the matron mothers. There are cousins as well or just normal regular retainers. You won't rise high in the house unless you're adopted into the actual priestess power structure surname-wise but you can do menial clerical stuff.

Llanthyr · Post by **Llanthyr** » Thu Nov 27, 2003 12:32 am

Assuming that the commoner drow priestess belongs to a house that was destroyed. Would that mean that she has fallen out of favour with Lloth? If I have a male drow, how do I respond to her?

Isaldur · Post by **Isaldur** » Thu Nov 27, 2003 5:48 am

When a house is destroyed, it is destroyed otherwise the attacking house gets entirely destroyed. That means unless the priestess of the destroyed house is adopted into the attacking house then she is dead. Without Lloth's favor a priestess is going to die if it's made known. Without the backing of Lloth she has no powers and is therefore not a priestess anymore unless she regains favor. That means she's effectively just a normal female commoner and your male drow noble can treat her as a lesser.

Cyric · Post by **Cyric** » Thu Nov 27, 2003 6:55 am

As far as I know, Isaldur can clear it up if I'm wrong

, the female commoner has the power over the male noble in the *short* run. Such as, she can make an accusation that the male threatened her, etc. and the male is tortured, etc. However, a noble would have more power in the long run.

When a female commoner starts to deplete the numbers of a noble house by making accusations, it will not go un-noticed. Therefore, the females in the house will view it as an attack on the house itself when she removes the slaves (males) from life. So, all in all, a male noble will have more power, though it is indirect.

Isaldur · Post by **Isaldur** » Thu Nov 27, 2003 2:54 pm

Unless the female is a priestess then she's lacking the favor of Lloth, or in the rare case she's just a priestess without the favor. Not to mention even if the commoner did accuse the noble male, the commoner doesn't have any standing house army to back her up. She's a commoner, part of the merchant/working class and not a noble.

While death doesn't work quite the same way as in Forgotten Realms in FK (I.E. players don't often stay permadead) I think you forgot one thing Cyric...

Why would any drow who doesn't have somewhere to stash said female/male torture and leave her alive to tell the tale? Drow applaud silent and sneaky eliminations and act as if the dead drow never existed if the killer pulls it off right.

Isaldur · Post by **Isaldur** » Mon Dec 01, 2003 12:06 am

Straight from the WoTC site.

Alot of stuff on drow interaction, nobility, love, work, commoners, etc.

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=bo ... drowsocial